Revising for your GCSEs can be tricky. With all the different revision tips and planning techniques out there, it can certainly feel a bit overwhelming – you might not know where to start! Well, I’m here to offer you two exam tips that personally helped me achieve high grades during both my GCSEs and my A-levels, that are most importantly, simple but effective.
One of the best revision tips for me during my GCSEs, was active recall. Instead of simply writing out notes, which can be tedious and easy to over-do, I made use of flashcards, writing a question on one side, and putting the answer on the other. This can even be done for more essay-based subjects, such as English or history, for example by writing out themes or characters on one side of a flashcard, and then providing more specific details on the other side.
You can quiz yourself or even get your friends and family to test you. Active revision techniques are great in helping solidify information in your head.
Another tip that really helped me to understand the structure of my exams, was practising past papers under timed conditions. They are free and accessible and usually come with a mark scheme, just make sure that you choose past papers that are specific to your exam board. Answering and marking past papers can help you to work out which topics you are confident with, and which topics you’re less sure of. They can also help you get used to the style of questions typical of your exam, whilst helping you to manage your time better by getting a sense of how it feels to answer questions against the clock.
There are plenty of other great techniques that you might find work better for you, and that’s okay! No one person is the same, but if you haven’t already, give these techniques a go and see how you feel – is it easier to remember those pesky equations and quotations? Do you feel more familiar with essay structure? Are you completing your work quicker?
Keep working hard, you’ve got this!